Dance
by SonjaTaylor
Summary: "Dance, you scum! Dance!" Taunted and abused by these words, young Nero only finds solace and acceptance in his brother Weiss. Together, the two comfort each other and make a promise to leave Deepground behind.


I really enjoyed the story of Dirge of Cerberus, and I thought the villains were great. I really wish that more development could have gone into Weiss and Nero, but I guess that's what fanfictions are for. I'd like to believe that these two brothers had a very tight childhood. They obviously care a lot about each other. I hope to do another Weiss and Nero fanfic in the future. ^^

Also, I'd like to thank the artist who drew the image for my cover photo. It's simply precious. I reserve all rights to them.

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Dance

"Dance, you scum! Dance!"

A shock, just as sharp as his tormenter's words, tore through young Nero's mind. Every nerve in his body inflamed in pain, causing each vein to glow through his pale skin. Streams of Mako flowed through his body like blood, giving life to his limbs. But the pain was too much to bear.

Forced by his body, to endure the pain, Nero danced.

He moved lightly on his feet, pivoting in nervous paces. His whole body trembled as though he were balancing on a wire. His upper body twisted and turned, hardly connected to the rest of him. And he didn't stop. He couldn't. His feet burned as if stepping on fire, and he could only quell the pain by continuing to move.

His tormenter watched him silently. His masked face and cloaked body concealed his identity and his soul.

If he had a soul at all…

He was a Restrictor.

Faceless. Souless. Merciless.

Nero's master.

He was running some sort of test again, likely ordered by the world above—Shinra. But why? Why must there always be pain?

"You call that dancing?" The Restrictor mocked. "Useless scum!"

Another shock wave struck Nero's head, and he cried out. But he couldn't move his arms to grab his head. His arms were bound to his chest. Electricity flowed through his body, forcing him to move faster and faster. He flung himself up and down in his wicked dance that he had no power to stop. His heart pounded within his chest, threatening to break. Each rapid beat pulsed through his uniform.

"Faster!" The Restrictor ordered.

Nero's body reacted against his will. Sweat began forming at his brow and across his skin. The liquid turned black, bathing him in a dark color. His breath came out in rasps. Black smoke poured of his mouth. And he moved faster and faster. Dark clouds formed at his feet everywhere that they touched the ground. The blackness billowed around him, threatening to swallow him and everything around him…just like what happened to his mother.

_No!_

"Make it stop! Please!" He cried, his voice squeaking in fear. He had lost total control. His body now moved automatically, like a robot. The maniacal dance continued, spawning more and more darkness.

_I don't want to be lost in this…_

_And be separated from my brother!_

The darkness had just about consumed the Restrictor from his sight when the being raised a hand. "Cease!"

Nero's body suddenly jerked to a halt, and turned weightless, and he collapsed to the hard, cold tile. His head struck the floor, blood oozing onto the tile.

"You are a fascinating study," The being retorted. "You react to pain. Physical pain produces this darkness. Shinra will have no difficulty using you." He flipped his cloak and turned towards the doorway. "Thanks for the dance. Keep practicing."

When the door slammed shut, Nero could only lie there. Shivering. Broken, like an overused puppet. Blood trailed from his head wound, but he had grown accustomed to the wet and sticky feel.

His body continued to quiver from the effects of the shock.

_I…have…to keep moving!_

Trembling, he arched his back, and forced himself to his knees, and then shakily to his feet. He stumbled backwards, but widened his stance to steady himself.

_Dance…_

_Dance, you useless scum._

_Keep practicing. _

Nero threw his body careening forward one way, and then reversed to the other way. He twirled and twisted, like some object bobbing in the water, tossed by a hurricane. The pain drove him on.

_Just keep dancing…and…_

_It'll go away._

He took a wrong stop and stumbled, his body crashing to the floor again. His body burned where the contact hit.

_No…I must keep…going._

He struggled to his feet, and threw himself once more into his dance, but this time, he did not flow into the air, but struck a solid object. It wasn't cold like a beam or a wall. But warm…fleshy…human.

_Weiss._

"Nero!"

Nero threw himself passed his brother, his body still urging him to keep moving.

"Nero, stop dancing!" Weiss pleaded.

_Brother!_

_I can't!_

_The pain…_

Weiss wrapped his arms around Nero, and the two locked in dance, until Nero lost all power in his body and collapsed. Weiss held him and they went down together.

Nero's whole body felt numb…frozen…lifeless. His head pounded and throbbed. No, that was the beating of a heart. His brother's heart.

"Nero, answer me!"

Weiss held him to his chest, his arms wrapped around Nero's frail body.

"Br-brother?" Nero's voice squeaked weakly.

Weiss only held him tighter. "It won't happen again," Anger spiced his tone. "I'll protect you from them next time."

Nero gasped as he thought over the incident that had just happened. They had put him through testing again. They had worked his body. Pushed it to its limit, to see the extent of his power. His darkness. They had drawn it all out until he collapsed.

"Dance!" The Restrictor had screamed at him.

It had laughed as he danced.

Danced in pain.

"Nero, you don't have to dance ever again."

He looked up at Weiss. Such controlled anger was in the boy's face. "I…I do not mind dancing," Nero admitted. "It's how…I make the pain go away."

"Then, I'll make the pain stop completely," Weiss promised. "And you can dance without it."

"How?" Nero sat up.

Weiss put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll find a way out of this place. We'll be free. Completely free. Your darkness will be gone. And you won't have to be locked up any more."

He loosened some binds at Nero's neck, allowing his brother's arms to fall limply at his side.

Weiss shifted forward, reaching his hands towards Nero's head. Nero turned his head away.

"Don't, Brother…I'm just…useless scum."

Weiss shook his head. "You're not scum. _They _are." Carefully, he removed the brace from off of brother's face.

As soon as the support was gone, Nero's head fell askew onto his shoulder. He tried to lift his head, but his neck could not support the weight. Only this brace kept his head straight. The countless shocks had rendered his face deformed. His jaw was hardly functional.

Weiss pulled him into an embrace, placing a hand behind his brother's head to steady it. "You will never be useless. I don't care what they say…"

"Weiss…" Nero sobbed.

"We're going to get out of here. I promise. Both of us. We'll both be free."

"Dance, you scum! Dance!"

Weiss barred his teeth, and lashed out at the Restrictor with his two swords. The blades sliced right through the being, as though he were an illusion and nothing more. Weiss strained against his chains that kept him fastened to an elaborate throne. The Restrictor was just out of his reach.

"Step closer, and we'll dance!" A dangerous smirk peaked the side of Weiss's mouth.

The Restrictor angled its helmeted head amusedly. "You haven't changed. Even as a boy those years ago you defied us…that is why we've chained you here." The souless being approached him, and held a blade to Weiss's exposed chest. "Very well…we'll dance. Take the first step."

Weiss twirled his swords, and slashed at the Restrictor. It vanished, and Weiss caught his balance. Something slammed into his back, and he lunged forward, catching on his chains. He whirled to face his invisible attacker, snarling. "You're afraid of me," He smiled knowingly. "You've chained me because you fear my power. You treated my brother the same way."

The chains vanished from Weiss's body, and he laughed. But no sooner had he found his freedom, than pain seared through his body. He gasped as he stared down at a blade protruding through his abdomen.

"What-?"  
The Restrictor's life-less tone grated near his ear. "Chains mean nothing. They simply keep you submissive…and remind you that this place will be your tomb."

The Restrictor twisted the blade and jerked it back out of Weiss's body. He collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily. Trails of blood streaked down his body.

"Thanks for the dance," The restrictor laughed. "Keep practicing."

Weiss didn't even bother to watch the being walk away. He could only crouch there, breathing. Blood trickled out of the side of his mouth.

"Weiss!"

Nero's voice pierced his mind. He shut his eyes. His hands quivered, threatening to break and drop him to the cold floor. Two arms wrapped around him, pulling him upward.

"Don't stop dancing, brother. Dancing will ease the pain."

Weiss gained his feet with the aid of his brother. The embrace tightened. "We'll get out of here someday, brother," Nero promised.

"Both of us," Weiss smiled bitterly, remembering his words from those years ago. "We'll both be free."


End file.
